Moline Township (part 1 of 3)

Foreword

THl'] work nii(lert;ikoii liy the publishers of Historic Hock Island Coixty is niamtcstl\- :i work in tlic iiitorpst of ])ostprity and tin' historian of the future. Miii'h that has |ieriiiaiieiit \alue in hist oiA-uiakint; for this section of the Mississijipi \allev is here preseutcil in concise form and is written within the memory of peojile who hirtrely contrilintcd to its social, jiolitical and industrial development. Jt needs no jH'ophetic vision to forecast the futni-e of this community as one of ureatei- prospi'ritw irreater achiex-ement ami fii'eater potentiaht w and the mii;hty ri\-er flow inji past oui' dooi' ilest ined, it is helic\ cd, to hi'ar upon its liosoin t he C(Uiimei-ce of the inland seas-is A-ornl with tlie message it carries to the southhind on its way to join the waters of t he (1 ulf. .Amid scenes of (|uiet , iieauty in prairie proves, on tlii' unilulat ing slopes of wooded hillsides, and within the shadow of Vmsy and growing cities, "the rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep," but their work lives after them, and their years of toil and hardship, not. unmixed with the dangers of frontier life, are glorified in the annals of Historic Hock Isl.wd CouxTV. Cai-lyle tells us that the study of luograjihy is the most universally pleasant and profitable of all studies. The ]iresent \'olume, therefore, is rich in biographical information bronglit down to date, and the pid.)lishers confidently believe that the history of men and women, no less than the record of successful business enterprises makes for \alue aii<l [)er|)etuity in a work of this kind. In this connection, also, they wish to express their gratitude to all who have in any w ;iy aided in its preparation. Historic Ivock Isi,.\xd Cou.xty, as its name implies, is an integral part of the story of a great state; and if, when the larger history of Illinois shall be written, the historian finds within these pages aught that adds lustre to the glory of the commonwealth, then indeed will the realization of the hope that prompted their publication be complete.

William A Meese

in covered boats, and while distracting the attention of the Indians, ojK'ned fire on them from the water, at the same time that his Menominee allies attacked their village from the banks in the rear. Those who snrvived the slaughter removed to the Mississippi River. On arriving there they foimd that country inhabited liy the Sauteaux, a branch of the ("hippewa tribe. Upon these they commenced war, finally driving them out of the country, which they then took possession of and occupied. This was aliout 1722.

These tribes next waged war ujion the Mascoutins and in a Ijattle opposite the mouth of the Iowa River defeated and almost extermitiated this tribe. Thfy then formed an alliance with the I'uttawattomies, Menominees and W'iiiiiebagocs, and together attacked the Illinois and gr.'idiially drove these peo])|e further southw.nrd.

The Sacs and Foxes have warred witii the Sioii.x, the Pawnees. Osages and other Indians, and their record shows that they ranked among the fiercest and most \\ at like trilx's. l)rake said of them: "The Sacs and Foxes are a truly courageous people, shrewd, politic and enteriirising, with nut nioie of ferocit}' and treachery of character than is common among the tribes by whom they were surrounded."

The first recognition liy our government of the Sacs and Foxes was in the treaty made at Ft. Ilarmar. January 0, ITS!), which guaranteed: "The individuals of said nations shall be at liberty to hunt within the territory ceded to the Fnited States, without hindrance or molestation, so long a.s thev demean tlieiu- .selves jjcaceably and offer no injtu'v or annoyance to any of the srd)jects or citizens of the said Fnited States."

In 1S()4 VVilliam Henry Harrison, governor of Indiana Territory, and afterwards President of the United States, was instructeil Ijy President .b'fTeison to instittite nefroi iations with the Sacs and Foxes to purchase their lands. At this time. Black Hawk had risen to the position of war chief of the Sac tribe. Four chiefs or headmen of the Sacs and two chiefs of the Foxes went to St. Louis, and November 3, 1804, made a treaty with Governor Harrison. By this treaty the Indians ceded all their lands, comprising the eastern thirtl of the present State of Missouri and the territory lying between the Wisconsin River on the north, the Fox River of Illinois on the east, the Illinois on the southeast, and the Mississippi on the west, in all fifty million acres. For this grant the United States guaranteed to the Intlians "friendship and protection," paid them .'¥2. 234. .50 in goods, and guaranteed them goods each year there- to the amount of .fl.OOO, fGOO of which was to be paid to the Sacs and $400 to the Foxes. By this treaty it was provided in .\rticle 7:

" .\s long as the lands which are now ceded t(i the United States r(>main tlieir ]:)ro]ierty, the Indians belon<;-ing to the said tribes shall enjoy the privilege of living and hunting upon them." This article in the treaty caused much trouble Ijetween tlie goveninient and the Sacs and Foxes, and was tlie main cause of the Black Hawk War. Black Hawk was not present at its making, and always denied the right of the headmen of the Sac tribe to sign such a treaty for his people.

In the sjiring of 1804 a white person (a man or boy) was killed in Cuivre settlement by a Sauk (Sac) Indian. A party of United States troo]>s was sent from St. Louis to the Rock River village to demand the murderer. The Sacs surrendered and delivered him to the soldiei's :uid lie was conveyed to St. Louis and turned oxer tn t lu> civil authorities. During the latter pari of October, LS()4, (^uashipianie, (ine of the Sac chiefs, together with others of his tribe and some of the Foxes, went to St. Louis to try and secure the release of the Sac murderer who was a relative of Quash-fpiame. It is an Indi.-in custom and trader, and from ISKi imtil ls;i() the agent of migrateil to the Missduri River, and Seinemthe Sacs and Foxes, in a manuscript written ber b'>, ISl.'), these Indians sent representain 1S32 says of this matter: tives to the Portage des Sioux, where each a Sauk chief, who was the headman of this tribe made a separate treaty wit h t he governparty, has repeatedlv said. 'Mr. Pierre CIkj- merit, agreeing to ratify the tre:il\ of Xovemte.au. Sen., came several time> In my camp. ber S, 1 S(I4, and tn remain separate from, .and

\\\^ the Mississippi River as high as the nuMitli treaty of bS()4 and all other contracts heretoof Rocky River (now Rock River), and east to fore made bet ween the parties. To this treaty from this obligation. Black Hawk sisnod this treaty. Another treaty was made August 4, 1824, which reaffirmed and recognized all former treaties. Each treaty left the Sacs and Foxes with le.ss land and fewer rights.

For years there liad existed a hitter feeling between the Sioux and the Sacs and Foxes, and .August 19, 1S2.5, William Clark and T>ewis Case on behalf of the government assembled these tribes, together with the Chippewas, Menominees, Winnebagoes, lowas, Ottawas and Pottawattomies at Prairie du Chien. and entered into a treat}- whose object was to end the wars between these nations. In this treaty it was agreed that the T'nited States should nm a botmdary line between the Sioux and the Sacs and Foxes. It seems that this treaty iiroved unsatisfactory to the Indians, for July 'M). \S'M). aiK)lher treaty was entered into at Prairie du Chien in whicli the Sacs and Foxes ceded to the United States a tract of land twenty miles in width l.ying south of the line established Ijy the treaty of August H), 1825. The Sioux also ceded a strip twenty miles wide along the north line of said boundary. This forty utile strip was neutral territor}-, open to all for hunting and fishing, and was alonir the Iowa River.

their parents. The husband could at any time divorce his wife or add' another if he deemed best, and although the marriage ties were not strong, the ties of consanguinity were rigidly preserved. Hereditary rights were traced through the female line. This was accom])lished by means of the Totem, an institution or emblem which served as a distinction for the different clans or families. The family surname was represented by some bird or animal, such as Eagle, Hawk, Heron, Deer, Bear, etc. Each Indian was proud of his Totem - in fact it represented a fraternity or secret society. As the different members of a clan were connected by ties of kindred, they were prohibited from intermarriage. A Hear might not marry a Bear, but coidd marry an Eagle, Hawk, or member of any other clan. This Totem s\'stem furnished the means of tracing family lineage through all their years of wandering and preserved their hereditary rights.

The Sacs and I'oxes had from the early part of the eighteenth century occupieil the lianks of the Mississippi between the mouth of the JMissouri and the Wisconsin, the Sacs occupying the eastern side of the river, and the Foxes its western banks.

The Sacs and F'oxes had many peculiar customs, one lieing that each male child was marked at birth with either white or bhick color, the Indian mother alternating the colors so that the nation was evenly divided l)etw<H'n black and white. This distinction was kept alive during life, the object lieing to create rivalry and a spirit of enuilatiou liotween the members of the tribe. Tiius black was the competitor of white in their games and social customs, and each side tried to outdo tlu; other, and in war to take moj-e scalps. Black Hawk belonged to the "Jilack" ]iarty antl Keok>d< to the "White" party.

The Sacs' house or wigwam was iriado by setting posts in the ground and siding it with bark. On top of the posts small poles were laid for rafters u])on which strips of bark were laid. These wigwams were about eighteen feet wide and fi-om twenty to sixt}'' feet long. West of the Hock River \-illage ttie Indians culti\-ated about one thousand acres, raishig corn, beans, squashes and melons. The Sacs and Foxes jjlanted their corn in the same hill year after year. They would dig up the hill each year and plant the coi'ii in tlie middle, cultivating it with a primitive hoe and hoeing it thre(> or fom- limes during a season. These corn hills were (luite large, many of them being still visible a few years ago. The farming go off into Iowa and Missouri where tlie\- pity on us." would hunt. In the winter their lioiises were made li\" stickuig poles m the groimd ami about twelve feet in di.ameter. These were called "Saukenuk." How this name origico\'ere(l with rugs wo\-en of grass and with uated is not known. The first to use it was whether because it had none or because the Indians did not care to name it, is not known. Major Morrill Marston who was stationed at Ft. Armstrong from August IcSlO to June 1821, in a letter dated November 1S20, in speaking of the Sac village said they call it Sen-i-se-po Ke-hc-mu-Kre (Rook River peninsula). When the Major s]wke to one of the chiefs al)()ut removing his people west of the Mississipj)!, the Indian replied, that his people were not willing to leave Kv-bc-mu-Kcc. because their chiefs and friends were buried there.

In ISO.') Lieutenant Zebulon Pike on behalf of the United States government made an expedition from St. I.ouis to the sources of the Mississippi Ri\-er. He says that the Sacs had three villages, one at the head of the Des Moines Rapid.s, the second on a lu'airie alxuit two miles from the Mississipjii at Ocpiawka, and the third on Rock River about three miles from its mouth. The L^oxes or Reynards also had ihi-ee villages, one on the lUinoi.s side above the Rock Island Rapids, on(> at Dubuque and one near Prairie du.Chien. Pike estimated that the Sacs numbered 2,850 souls, of whom 1,400 were children, 750 women and 700 warriors. The Foxes numbered 1,750 of whom 400 were warriors, 850 children, 500 women. In 1825 the secretary of war estimated the entire number of Sacs and Foxes at 4,600, an increase of over one thousand in twenty years. In 1831, at the commencement of Indian liostilities preceding the Black Hawk War, ther(> were tw(mty families of whom twelve were Sacs and eight were Foxes, and their total number is estimated to have been five thousand souls, this number including those living in Iowa and Missouri.

A Revolutionary Battle

Wisconsin Rivers, a body of Menominees, Winnebagoes and Sacs and Foxes, in all about six hundred and fifty Indians, and with fifty white traders came down the Wisconsin River in canoes and thence down the Mississippi Ri^-er to St. Louis, and attacked that then Spanish post. The British and their Indian allies oil May 26th. made their attack, but were repulsed by the inlialiitants and the small S]ianish garrison. They then crossed tlie Mississipju River and attacked the American post at Cahokia. Colonel .lohn Montgomery was American commandant of the Illinois, and he having heard of the enemy's nu)vements, was prepared. General George Rogers Clai'k had while at the Falls f)f the Gliio learned of the threatened British-Indian invasion, and hiii'ried to the Illinois, arri\-ing on the night of the 25tli. and assisted in the defense. The British and Indians were re)iulsed .although one .\merican was killed. Gen(>ral Clark now ordered Colonel Montgomery to pursue the enemy, and Montgomery at the head of an army of three hundred and fifty soldiers, mostly Virginians, including a company of Illinois French Militia and some Spanish, marched to where Peoria now is and destroj-ed the Indian village on the Illinois. He then took up his march across the ])rairies to the Sac village near the mouth of Rock River. It was in the first part of ,Iune. early accoiuits do not mention the day of the month, but it was during the season that the Sacs and Foxes were always at their village cultivating their fields of corn. Black Hawk does not mention this American visit, due probably to the fact that an Indian seldom if ever mentions defeat, (Colonel Montgomery himself makes scant mention of his journey, save in a letter written in 178.3 to the Board oj Cnmmissioners jor the Settlement of Western Accounts in which he defends his actions while in the Illinois, He speaks of desiring a leave of absence and says, "It was then he (General George Rogers Clark) informed me of his resolution; and that the Pidilic Interest wovdd not permit of my request bein,s: granted, that I must take command of the expetlition to Rock River." He then says: ''After Riving me instructions, he (Clark) left Kohos (Cahokia) the 4th of June with a small escort for the mouth of the Ohio on his route to Kentucky. I immediately proceeded to the Business I was order'd and marcli'd thi-ee hundred and fifty men to the lake o]ien on the Illinois River, and from thence to the Ruck Ri-\-er, Destroying the Towns and ('i-(i|is proposed. The Eniniy not I)ai-eing to fight me as they had so lately Reen Disbaiuled and they could not raise a sufiicient force ''

James Aird, an early I^ritish trader, speaking of this matter in 1805, said that the Sac village was burnt, "by about three hundred Americans, although the Indians had assembled 700 warriors to give them battle." Aird from 1778 on was engaged in trade with the Sacs and Foxes made annual visits to their village and for weeks maintained on Credit (now Suburljan) Island a trading post or station.

The French Militia who accompanied Montgomery undoubtedly exjiected to capture rich booty from the Indians and were greatly disappointed. In a lengthy declaration to M. Mottin de la Balme, pensioner of the King of France and French Colonel, ctc.A\w inhabitants of Cahokia complain grieviously of the \'irginians. They say in speaking of the Rock River Expedition: "Oh, Colonel Clark, affecting ahvays to desire our public welfare and under pretext of avenging us, soon formed with us and conjointly with the Spaniards a party of more than three h\mdred men to go and attack in their own village the savages who had come to our homes to harass us, and after substituting Colonel Montgomery to commaiul in his place, he soon left >is.

"It is, then, well to ex]ilain to you, sir. that the Virginians, who never employed any principle of economy, have been the cause by their lack of management and bad conduct, of the non-success of the expedition and that our glorious projects have failed through their fault: for the savages abandoned their nearest villages, where we have been, and we were forced to stop and not ]iush on further, since we had almost no more provisions, powder and balls, which the Virginians had undertaken to furnish us."

Thus at the Sac village at the mouth of Rock River was fought a battle during tlie War of the Revolution. How long it lasted, were there any killed or wounded, or if I'ritisli soldiers took part, our eai'iv records do not state, but in this farthest west of the Revo- Mitionary engagements, American soldiei's like their brothers in the east, triumphed.

At the commencement of the ninetcontli centvu'y and up to the Hlaid< Hawk Wai'. the jirincipal and central figiu'e of the redmen in the upper Mississippi \'alley was the Sac chief. Black Hawk, who was born at the Indian village on Rock River in 1767. Ulack Hawk was of middling size and as Catlin says. "with a head that would excite the en\-y of a phrenologist: one of the finest that lu'a\en eAer let fall on the shoulders of an Indian." Another Sac chief who had risen from the ranks was Keokuk. His advancement was due to his raising a war jiarty to defend liis nation from an expected attack of the Americans during the War of 1812, but which attack never occurred. Although polygamy was practiced among the Sacs and Foxes, Black Hawk had but one wife while Keokuk had seven. Keokuk was also born at the Sac village on Rock River in 17S:^, and died in April, 1848, at the Sac and Fox Agency in Kansas.

Early in the nineteenth century there seems to have arisen a flifference between the Sacs and Foxes. Lieutenant Pike, writing in 1805, says: which has marked the ci luhict of the former (Sacs) towards the United States on many hate occurrences." This disagreement continued to grow, and while some of the Foxes hoki with the Sacs, most of the Foxes were incHned to be well disposed to the Americans, as were some of the Sacs, and these friendly Indians arrayed themselves under Keokuk's standard while the war ])arty held to Black Hawk. Black Hawk and Keokuk were thus rival chiefs. Keokuk had never done anything that entitled him to leadership. The Indian standard of character and honor made it the duty of an Indian to be foremost in the ranks of the war party. Keokuk had fewvictories to his credit, but he was diplomatic. In 1828 he moved with his following across the Mississip])i and built a on the Iowa. Black Hawk, like Keokuk, was not an hereditary chief, but had risen to the position of chief of the war ]nirty througli the native vigor of his character and liis great success in war. Black Hawk had never suffered defeat. His band, which was much the larger, comprised the chivalry oi the Sac and Fox nations. At the beginning of the War of 1812, he offered the services of his nation to the Americans, which from motives of humanity they declineil. Yet the British were not loth to accept them, for directly after this we find that La Guthre, an agent of Great Britain, was at the Hock River village to enlist the Sacs and Foxes on the British side and against the Americans, and we find them fighting us in the War of 1812. From this fact and from this time. Black Hawk's band was known as the "British Band." A study of Black Hawk's life discloses that he possessed those qualities which in a white man would raise him lo power and position. Black Hawk was the great Indian covimoner. Keokuk was noted as an Indian orator; l^hick Hawk as an Indian warrior.

man to po.ssess the home and the hunting grounds of his red brother. Discovery by the European nations was considered a right to extinguish the redman's title. England's policy then as now was to claim that all title to land was vested in the crown, tliat her subjects might occupy the soil, but could not alienate it except to her own people. England treated the Indians as she did her own subjects. When the United States at the close of the Revohitionary War succeeded to this country from the Atlantic to the Mississippi, the same principles regarding the title to the Indian lands were carried out, and while in every instance our government had secured title and extinguished Indian rights, by treaty or purchase, we must admit that the consideration was the most trivial, and too often accejitnnce on the part of tlie redman was influenced by the force ofarms.

"Did the red man foresee his impending doom, his forced retreat towards the setting smi, the gradual breaking up of his power and the final extinction of his race?" Careful study of Indian history leads us to believe that among the Indians, as well as among the white men, there were those who saw the coming storm, "who saw- the threatening cloud coming from the east, small at first, scarce a shadow, but gradually becoming more distinct and greater as it traveled westward, anil, when it reached the summit of the Alleghanies, it assumed a darker hue; deep murmurs, as of thunder, were heard; it was impelled westward by strong winds and shot fortli forked tongues of lightning." On the plains of Al)raliam, when French su- ])remacy west of the Alleghanies was forever lost, and I 'on line stood before the British oflicer wlio was to proceed westward to secure the fruits of victory and said, "I stand in thy path," he realized the impending conflict, and his note of warning to the chiefs of his nation to "Drive the dogs who wear red clothing into the sea" was his last appeal to save his race. Fifty years later Tecumseh fell a martyr to the Indian cause, und his efforts to stem the westward march of the white man failed. For three years after that Tuscaloosa strove in vain to save his nation, and in 1S32 the Sacs and Foxes on Rock Island soil, under the leadership of their great chief, Black Ha\^-k, made the last determined Indian defense of their homes and the resting place of their forefathers.

Sacs And Foxes Of Today

After their removal tn lnwa, they by treaties in 1836 and 1842 ceded all tlirii- lands up to the Missouri River, and in .luno, 1885, these people were distrihuteil as fdllows: On Sac and Fox Resenaiioii in Iii\\a (Tama Countj-) about 380: on ruttawaluniie and Great Nemaha Agency Hcsorxalimi, near the northeast corner of Kansas, tlic Sa<-; and Foxes of Missouri about 1.S7: im Sai' and Vnx Resen-ation in Indian Toi-ritory, 457, and Mohoko's band, wandering in the west, about 35()--a total of 1,374. Almost all but the last named band arc farmers and herders. The agent at Sac and Fox Agency, Iowa, writing in 1884, said: "For honesty and truthfulness our Indians stan<l above the average white man with the merchants with whom they deal." Yet in spite of all attempts to civilize them, the Sacs and Foxes still live in rude huts like their ancestors, cooking their food at a fire made on the ground, the smoke escaping from an opening in the roof; sleeping f)n bunks of boards arranged on the sides of their huts, wearing blankets, painting their faces, shaving and decorating their heads, as did their ancestors who lived at the old Hock Hi\er village. They lack thrift, industry and a s])irit of progress. They still offer prayers and hold feasts before planting their crops, and ,'inother series of prayers an<l thaid<sgiving wlien their crops are gathered. Notwithstanding the efforts of Christian missionaries, holy or consecrated tobacco is still l)urned on certain occasions as incense, and as of yore thev still have "Me-sham," a something that profane eyes have never been allowed to see. The modern Sacs and Foxes, while cpiiet antl peaceful, are averse to work and seem at their best visiting the neighboring towns, lounging about smoking, chatting and plajdng the white man's game - cards.

First White Explorers

Undoubtedly the first white men to cast their eyes upon Rock Island soil were I^ouis Joliet and P^atlier Jacques Marquette, when they and their five French canoemen, in June 1673, floated from the mouth of tlie Wisconsin River down the broad Mississippi. We do not know that they landed at anv sjiot in the liountlary of what is now Hock Island County, but as they came over the Rock Island rapids, gliding down the swift flowing water, they could not fail to notice the Island of Hock Island with its rocky shores and beautiful groves, foi- their canoes must needs take the chaimel on the north shore of the islanil. All early \oyagers remarked u[)on this locality, and it was general!}- considered "the handsomest and most delightful spot of the same size on the whole globe."

We have no record of the lirst white man . who stepped on Rock Island soil. We know that as early as 1690 Nicholas Perrot . Fi-ench commandant of the west, built a post opposite to where l)ul)uque. Iowa, now is and that in 1695 Pierre Le Sueur built a foii (ui a large island in the Mississip])i River between Lake Pepin and the mouth of the St. Croix, which Charlevoix says became "the centre of commerce for the western parts." Le Sueur discovered lead mines on both sides of the Mississi]:)]ii River (at Dulniqnc and (lalena), and Penicault, his reportei' and conipanion, speaks of the rapids at Rock Island. We kn(jw tliat agents of Anthony Crozat at some time between the years 1712 and 1717 worked the lead mines around Dubuque and (lalena; that as early as 1792 printed maps of this country show the Rock Island Rapids, naming them

"Nine-mile Rapids." and we further know that from 17S8 to 1810 Juhen Du IJiique with a force of Spanish, I''reneh and Indian miners operated tlie lead mines near where IJubuque, Iowa, now i.s, and floated his lead down the Mississippi to St. I.ouis and New Orleans, and it is not impossible that some of these people may have e.xplored this county and even lived here; hut the first record we have of a white man stopping at this locality is when Lieutenant Pike in 1S()5 made his trip up the Mississi])])!.

On August 9, 1805, Lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike, an officer in the LTnited States Army, in command of twenty soldiers, left St. Louis (mder instructions from the government to trace the sources of the Mississippi River, ascertain the condition of the Indians, create a better feeling between them and the .Americans and to select certain sites iipon which to erect forts. The party made the voyage in a keel boat seventy feet long, and on .\ugust 27, 1805, the party arrived at the mouth of Rock River.

Black Hawk in his autobiography says: ."Some time afterwards a boat came up the river with a young .American chief, at that time lieutenant, and afterwards General Pike, and a small party of soldiers aboard. The boat at length arrived at Rock River and the young chief came on shore with his interpreter. He made us a speech and gave us some presents, in return for which we gave him meat and such other provisions as we could spare.

"We were well i)leased with the speech of the young chief. He gave us good advice and said our .American father wcuild treat us well. Ho presented us an American flag which we hoisted. He then requested us to lower the P)ritish colors, which were waving in the air, and to give him our British medals, promising to send us others on his return to St. Louis. This we declined to do. as we wished to have two fathers."

The event related by Black Hawk, and occurring at the old Sac village on Rock River, in August. 1805. was the first raising and unfurling tif the United States flag in the valley of the vipper Mississippi River. All the country west of the ilississippi had until October, 1803, belonged to Spain, and Lieutenant Pike was the first American representative to navigate the Mississippi north of St. Louis.

The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 gave the United States control of both banks of the upper Mississippi River. Previous to this time, but little was known of our upper river by the Americans, and not until Lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike under orders from our government in 1805 came up the river from St. Louis, to discover its source, and to select locations for future United States posts, did our government have any definite knowledge concerning this country.

Af the beginning of tlie year 1814 the war with England was still in progress and though the warfare was carried on mostly on the lakes, the Atlantic Ocean, and among the eastern states, the west, and especially the upper Mississippi River, were the scenes of important events, which owing to their distance from civilization, the lack of means and the length of time to transport news, were overlooked, and have failed to receive that recognition in American history that events of less importance, but happening in the east were accorded.

St. Louis, the American headquarters for the vipper Mississippi River, Cap au Oris, a small French hamlet a few miles north of the mouth of the Illinois River, the deserted old post at Ft. Madison, the mines at Dubuque and the small French settlement and British post at Prairie du Chien were the only settlements on the upper river.

On March 27th, 1S13, Ninian Kdwards, territorial governor of Illinois, wrote the secretary of war: "If the British erect a fort at the mouth of the Wisconsin, and should be able to retain it two years, this and Missouri territory will be totally deserted, in other words, conquered."

In the beginning of the year 1814 our government decided to build a fort on the upper river at Prairie du Chien (the mouth of the Wisconsin Paver), where the British had the preceding year fortified the house of the Macinac Fur Company and stationed a company of Michigan fencibles (militia).

The First Expedition

On May 1, 1814, William Clark, governor of Missouri Territory, with a detachment consisting of sixty United States regulars of the Seventh Infantry, and one huiulrod and forty Illinois and Missouri rangers or volunteers, left Cap au Oris in five fortified keel boats for the mouth of the Wisconsin River there to erect a United States fort. At the mcmth of the Rock River they had a slight skirmish with a party of Sauk (Sac) braves.

About the middle of April, Colonel Dickinson left Prairie dn Chien, taking with him most of the British forces, together with about three hundred Indian allies. Captain Deace was left in charge of the post. His command consisted of a company of Michigan fencibles and a body of Sioux and Fox Indians. When it was learned that an American force was nearing the Prairie, the Indians refused to fight the Americans, and Captain Deace and his British soldiers fled.

Lieutenant Joseph Perkins, who was in command of the United States regulars, on his arrival at the Prairie, took possession of the place and immediately began the erection of a fort, which he named Fort Shelby in honor of Governor Shelby of Kentucky. As soon as the fort was coni])lcti'd Captain John Sullivan's company of fifty rangers, thirty-two rangers from Cajitain Yeizer's company, together with Go\i'rniir Clark, left Fort Shelby and returned to St. Louis, arriving there the hist of June.

On the 17th of July Fort Shelby at Prairie du Chien was attacked by Colonel William McKay in command of one lumdred and fifty British soldiers and four hundred Sioux, Winnebago, Menominee and Chippewa Indians, and on the evening of July 19th, the same day Campbell's expedition was defeated, Lieutenant Perkins surrendered Fort Shelby. The British renamed the fort, calling it Fort McKay.

When General Howard, commandant of the American forces in the west, learned of the return of the troojjs from Prairie du t'hien, he immediately organized another expedition to be sent up the river to reinforce Fort Shelby.

On July 4, 1S14, the second expedition left Cap au Oris. It consisted of three fortified barges, or keel boats, each with a cabin and all having sails. There were thirty-three regular soldiers and sixty-five rangers (militia), some of the latter being Frenchmen from Cahokia. The expedition including the sutlers' establishment, boatmen, and women and children, making (uie lumdred and thirtythree persons. This expedition was commanded by Lieutenant (acting Brigade Major) John Campbell of the First Regulars (infantry), who with the regulars, contractors, sutlers, women and children, occupied one boat. The two other boats being occupied Ijy the rangers and were commanded by Lieutenant Stephen Rector and Lieutenant Jonathan Riggs. The number of regulars in this expedition has beea repeatedly given as forty-two; Major Campbell, however, reports that he had but thirty-three.

they met a party of Indians from Prairie du Chien. -vvith a paclcet directed to (Jovernor Clark. These Indians informed Campbpll that everything was quiet, and that the garrison at the Prairie (Prairie du Chien) had been completed. The same day Lie\itenant Rector, of the rangers foiuid a canoe which had a considerable quantity of Indian property in it, and which had just been abandoned. On the ISth of .luly, al)out twenty miles below the mouth of Rock River, the expedition was met by a party of nine Indians in canoes, bearing a white flis:, who informed Major Campbell that they had heard of the American's approach and had come to conduct them to their own town, and to inform them that the Sacs and Foxes were friendly disposed. The Indians left the keel boats a few miles below the mouth of Rock River, at the mouth of which the boats were met by five other Indians in canoes, who informed the commander that the Indians at the village on Rock River, about a m\\f above its mouth, wished to hold a council with him. The keel boats proceeded up the river and landed on the Illinois shore o])]V)site the lower end of the Island of Rock Island. In a short time, about one hundred and fifty warriors, besides women and children of the Sac and Fox nation appeared. Black Hawk was at the head of the party. He approached Major Campbell and asked if he had brought any presents for him from his f'l.ther. Major Campbell told Black Hawk he had, provided he fulfilled the premises he had made his father in the spring, which was to go to war with the Peaus (Winncbagoes.) Black Hawk replied that he had made his father no such promises, and that his "father was drunk when he said so," but that he was ready to go to war with the Peatis if the government would furnish him with the means. He further said: "The Mississipjji is a broad and straight road and the people of the United States shall meet with no obstructions in traveling."

The Battle Of Campbell'S Island

On the morning of July 19, before breakfast, the boats all set sail and started up the river, with a fine breeze. During the night a party of Indians arrived at the Sac village from Prairie du Chien, coming down Rock River, Black Hawk said they brought the Sacs six keEfs of powder and told them that the fort at Prairie du Chien had been captiu-ed by the British. These messengers also told the Sacs that the British wished thein to again join them in the war against the Americans, which the Indians agreed to do.

Black Hawk's memory is at fault. He does not state exactly what these Indian messengers told him. Colonel McKay, whose army of British and Indians had attacked Prairie du Chien, in a letter to his superior officer, under date of July 27, 1S14, says that on the 17th of July, about three o'clock in the afternoon, after the gunboat "Governor Clark " had been driven from its position by the British cannon and had started down the river, that he immediately sent off a canoe with three men: an lowan. who had come from Mackinac with him, and two of the six Sauks, who had joined him on the Fox River, that he gave them four kegs of gun powder and ordered them to pass the "Governor Clark" and get as soon as possible to the rapids at the Rock River, where he believed the gunboat would run aground; that they should collect all the Sauks and annoy the" Governor Clark" and prevent their landing to get fire w-ood, etc.

Early in the morning. Black Hawk collected his warriors and determined to attack the boats, which had now started up the river. As Black Hawk says: "I collected my warriors and determined to pursue the boats. I immediately started with my party by land in p\u-suit, thinking that some of their boats

The boats had just passed tlie liead of Rock Ishand when the Ijoat commanded by Major Campliell was grounded on the rocks, and he was compelled to discharge and put off part of her loading into the other boats liefore he could release his boat.

After proceeding about six miles the wind increased to a hurricane. Campbell's boat being still heavily loaded, he says: "I was afraid of her dashing to pieces on the rocks, and ordered her to be put shore, which in doing from the severe gale of wind which was blowing, and the roughness of the water, dashed her so hard on shore it was imjiossible to get her off while the storm lasted." The boat was driven on the north .sliorc of an island lying about six miles east of Moline and which since that day has been known as Campbell's Island. It lies near the eastern shore in Rock Island County and hclouss to the State of Illinois.

Black Hawk says: ".\bout half way up the rapids I had a full vii'w of the boats, all sailing with a strong wind: I soon discovered one boat badly managed and was suffered to be driven ashore by the wind: they landed by running hard aground, and lowered their sail, the others passed on."

The ground where the boat landi'd was covered with high grass, hazel ami willow bushes for a considerable distance up and down the shore. Campbell immediately j^laced two sentinels about sixty yards from the I)oats and the men then commenced getting their breakfast.

They had not been on the island more than twenty-five or thirty minutes when the Indians commenced their attack, both sentinels were killed the first fire, and one other man on shore. Campbell ordered the cable cut and the boat to be gotten off, in doing of which two men were killed and three wounded. Finding the gale blowed directly on land,

The boats of Lieutenants Rector and Riggs were about three miles u]) the river at this time. Lieutenant Riga's' being in advance. He heard the report of the firing and saw the smoke rising from where t'ampbeH's boat lay. He tacked his boat and signaled Rector, who also tacked and lioth sailed for Campbell's float, Rector's lioat being the first to reach the scene of the battle. .Savages were seen among the trees and btishes, aiul a large number of Indians were seen coming in canoes from the eastern shore. It was estimated that afioiit four hundred Indians surrotinded them. Tlie savages commenced gi\ing their war-whoop and pouring in on theiu a, fire of musketry and arrows. Major Campbell's right wrist was fractured by a musket fiall during the first onslaught, and he was carried into the cabin of his boat and laid on a bunk, while his men gallantly returned the fire of the Indians.

Campbell's boat was so near the bank that the Indians were ablei(ilii'<' in at the port oar holes. The storiu had now become so violent that it was fully an hmu' before the other boats were able t<i come to Campbell's assistance.

Riggs' boat was dri\-en ashore about one hundred yards below Campl)eirs boat, and Rector to avoid a siinilar fate, had let go an anchor, and lay about twenty yards above Campljell's lioat. The rangers from both barges kept up a brisk fire on the Indians.

This unequal contest waged for several hoiu-s, when the firing from Campbell's boat becoming less frequent, led Lieutenant Rector to believe that most of Campbell's men were either killed or wounded.

Riggs' boat was the best fortified, but his crew had been weakened. When CamplieU's boat was stranded on the rocks he sent a sergeant and ten men to help him off, and Campbell did not return the men.

Reotor's boat had among its crew many of the French from Cahokia who were experienced sailors. The wind was still a raging tempest, and the fire of tiie Indians was becoming more destructive to the Imat";. "At this time," Black Hawk says, "I prepared mv bow and arrows to throw fire to the sail, which was laying on the boat, and after two or three attempts succeeded in setting the sail on fire." Campbell's boat was soon in flames. Lieutenant Rector could not remain inactive and witness, the horrifile death of Campbell and his companions. In the face of the tempest and the galling fire of the foe, he cut his anchors, a number of his men got out into the water, keeping the boat between them and the Indians, they pushed their boat against the fire of the Indians up to Campbell's boat. The wounded in Campbell's lioat were first transferred to Rector's boat, and then those who were unhurt : so loaded was Rector's boat that the water was running in at the oar holes and almost all of the provisions were thrown overboard to lighten the boat. The Indians all the time kept up a murderous fire. In faking the men from Campbell's boat the Major was shot through the body. Black Hawk in his autobiography states at this time: "We wounded the war chief."

Rector's men still in the water, and keeping the boat between them and the Indians, hauled their boat out into the stream, swimming alongside of the boat until the channel was reached and the boat had been carried out of gunshot, when they climbed into the boat. Rector's boat was crowded, l>ut the men took to their oars and rowed night and day until they reached St. Louis.

The casualties were: killed on Campbell's boat, ten regulars, one woman and one child; on Rector's boat, one ranger, and on Riggs' boat, three rangers; a total of sixteen.

]\Iajor Campbell and Dr. Stewart, the garrison surgeon, who was shot in the breast: a total of twenty-one, making the total eastialties thirty-seven. All fought with the cour- ,age of heroes. Rector and his men risked their lives to save their comrades, and the battle at Campbell's Island has no equal for daring and heroism during the War of 1812 in the west.

Lieutenant John Weaver, of the regulars, who was second in command on Campbell's boat acted bravely; it was largely by his exertions that the wounded were safely transferred to Rector's boat.

Almost all of the ammunition for the expedition and the supplies for Fort Shelby, except a box of musket balls, was on Campbell's boat and captured by Black Hawk, nothing being saved. The regulars fought with their shirts off, and saved only their arms and fatigue overalls.

After Riggs' boat had gone. Black Hawk's warriors began to plunder Campbell's boat. The first thing that the chief did was to knock the head in of several barrels of whiskey, which he termed, "bad medicine" and emptied their contents on the ground. He says, "I next found a box full of small bottles and packages, which appeared to be bad medicine also: such as the medicine men kill the white people with when they get sick, this I threw into the river." The rest of the plunder, which consisted of guns, clothing, provisions, powder, etc., was loaded into their canoes and taken to the Fox village opposite the lower end of Rock Island, where Davenport now is. Before leaving, the Indians took the scalp from Campbell's five dead regulars, and as Black Hawk said when he got to the Fox village, "We cominenced dancing over the scalps we had taken."

Historic Rock Island C O'U N T Y.

While Black Hawk and his Indians were dancing over their scalps, sex'eral boats passed down the river, among them a large boat, "carrying big guns." These boats were the "Governor Clark'' and the contractor's and sutler's barges from Pi-airi(> du Cliieii, wliieh garrison Campboll's cxiu'dition \\as intending to strengthen, but \\liich had been attacked by the British under Colonel McKay, on the seventeenth, two days ])revious.

Captain Yeizer and his gvmboats leaving Prairie du Chien during the afternoon on the first da}' of the attack and started for St. Louis, leaving Lieutenant Perkins and his command, which consisted of sixty men, together with two women and one child, to hold the fort which surrendered July 19th, after a three day's siege.

The Derelict

Lieutenant Cnnipljell's boat lay for many years on the north shore nf Campbell's Island, wdiere the State Monument now stands. Benjamin Goble, an old settler often told of seeing the hull imbedded in sand. He says:

"Soon after Stephens left, two men named Smith, took possession of his claim, there were two cabins on it, but neither had a floor. The river was low, so that the hull nf the Inirge burned by the Indians at the time of Campbell's defeat in 1812, (a mistake, it was 1S14) was plainly visible. The Smiths got the liuU ashore, found the planks in a good state of preservation and floored tlnnr cabins with them." This was in 1829. The Stephens whom he mentions was a planter from the south, who located where Walker Station, two miles east of Moline, now is.'' command. The British had great influence with the northwest Indians, and it is not to be wondered at as they made the Indians believe that the Americans wcndd drive out the Indian, while the British wanted the Indian to retain his lands. In a letter dated August 21, 1814, Colonel R. McDonall, British commandant, wrote C'aptain Anderson: "Assure them (Sacs and Foxes") that great efforts are being made by the king in their behalf, and that the ministry .-ire determined to make no peace till the lands plundered from the Indians are restored. To attain tliis purpose, great reinforcements of troops are coming o\U."

C)n August 14th, Lifuitenant Duncan Graham with six men and an interpreter, left Fort McKay for the Sac village near the mouth of Rock River, his mission being to enlist the Sacs in an expedition to bring up an American gunboat which had been abandoned at a point a short disl.-mce above the unoccupied Fort Madison.

On August 21st, the British at Fort McKay were apprised by the Fox Indians that a third American expedition was on its way up the Mississippi River from St. Louis, and Captain Anderson, commanding Fort McKay, sent a dispatch to Lieutenant Graham at the Sac village on Rock River, requesting him to learn all about the Americans and to inform him. At this time there were about 800 braves at the Rock River village. Graham returned to Fort McKay, and on the 27th was again sent to the Sac village near the mouth of Rock River. This time he had with him a company of British soldiers numbering thirty men, also one brass three-pounder and two swivels, his object being to annoy and harass the American expedition and if possible defeat them and drive them back to St. Louis.

The American expedition was formed at Caj) au Gris, and consisted of eight large fortified keel boats, carrying a detachment of 334 soldiers, and started on August 23d. It was commanded by Major Zachary Taylor, afterwards President of the United States. On the afternoon of September 5th, the American fleet arrived at the mouth of Rock River. Lieutenant Graham on his return to the Rock River village found that the Indians now numbered about fifteen hundred, several bands of AVinnebagoes and Sioux having joined the Sacs and Foxes, who he said "would stand by us to the last man." Graham wrote that he would take his position on Rock Island at the rapids, which was the best place for defense that he knew on the Mississippi. On September .oth the British soldiers moved their guns and planted them on the west side of the island at the narrowed part of the channel, about where the present bridge rests on the island. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the American fleet appeared in sight of the British. A storm of rain, thimder and lightning came on which compelled the American boats to land at the small Willow Island, about sixty yards above Credit Island (now Suburban Island, Davenport; . Here the Americans decided to pass the night. Large numbers of Indians appeared on the Illinois and Iowa shores as well as on Credit Island. Init not a gun w.as fired. Early the morning of the 6th the British and Indians crossed the Mississippi River to the Fox village on the west bank and went as quickly as possible through the jirairie to the beach op])osite the American boats, where they had a close view of them. Lieutenant (iraham selected the Sioux to guard the cannon because he said "as they promised they would rather be killed to the last man than give up the guns." The British planted their guns on an elevated spot, where they commanded a view of the Willow Island as well as the upper part of Credit Island. This place is 'about where the dam commences that leads to Suburban Island. The night before Graham had cautioned the Indians not to fire without orders from him, but a Saidv warrior dtiring the night shot a corporal on one of the

American boats commanded by Captain Whiteside. At daylight Major Taylor ordered his men to attack the Indians and drive them from the Willow Island, where they had appeared in large numbers. The American soldiers charged the enemj^, who retreated, wading to Credit Island. Major Taylor then ordered Captain Nelson Rector to drop his boat down to Credit Island and rake the island with artillery and drive the Indians off. Rector did so, the Indians retreating unto cover.

Of Rector's charge an early writer said' "Captain Rector was dressed richly, with a splendid military uniform and a large red feather in his hat. Thus equipped, he drew his sword and walked deliberately on an open sand beach, a short distance from the enemy, and ordered his company to follow him. Many Indian guns were fired at him, which he disregarded as if they were popguns. He escaped, but it was miraculous, as he was alone in advance of his cotnpany."

Captain Nelson Rector was a brother of Lieutenant Stephen Rector, who on July 19th so heroically rescued Lieutenant Campbell and his ill-fated boat's crew at Camp- Ijcll's Island.

At this time, abotit 7 o'clock, the British guns began to play on the American boats. The first shot passed through Lieutenant Hempstead's boat. Lieutenant Graham in his report dated September 7th said: "In about three-quarters of an hour the largest of their boats, which was ahead of the others, after having about fifteen shots through her, l)egan to push off, and dropped astern of the rest, and made her way down the current. The others soon followed her. We kept firing at them along the bank as far as the ground would permit us to drag the guns, but they soon got out of our reach." The engagement lasted about one hour. Major Taylor in his report sai<l: "I was compelled to drop down about three miles before a proper place presented itself for landing, as but few of the boats had anchors sufficient to stop them in the river. Here I halted for the purpose of having the wounded attended and some of the boats repaired, as some of them had l)een injured by the enemy's artillery." The landing was on till' Illinois shore.

The I^riti.-h and Indians had no losses, while the Americans had eleven men Ijadly wounded, thr"c mortally. Taylor's fleet returned to St. I.onis. \n early writer said: "1 saw ill the harbor at St. Louis the boats that were in Tayloi-'s battle at Rock Island, and tlicy wcr(> riddled with the cannon balls. I think the balls were nuidc of lead --at any rate they picrcnl the boats considerably.''

This was tlie third American expedition up the i\lississi]ipi River in the year 1S14, all ending in defeat and disaster. The liritish and Indians had possession of the country until December when the jjeace of (ihent ended tlie war.

In his autobiograpliy. Black Hawk says: "The British landed a big gun and gave us three soldiers to manage it." Writers of Western History have differed regarding Taylor's engagement, some accepting Black Hawk's version, have credited the battle as solely an Indian victory, saying the Indians were re-inforced by only three British soldiers and one cannon. Others have said that there were present a large number of British soldiers. Neither Taylor or Graham knew who was in command of the other party, and nowhere was I al:)le to learn the details, until during the winter of 1906 and 1907, I found in the Canadian archives the correspondence between the British officers relating to the part they took in this early western event. From these archives, I learned that Black Hawk had a company of British soldiers with three cannons. That the cannon were first planted on the Island of Rock Island two years before the erection of Fort Armstrong, on ground afterwards occupied by Fort Armstrong and that Suburban Island as early as 1814 was known as Credit Island.

First Settli'Irs

The first while setth^r in this county was George Davenport, who came to tlK> Island of Rock Island in the spring of ISIG with Colonel William Lawrence and the Eighth Regiment of United States regulars at the time Fort .-\rmstrong was built. In LSI 7 Da^-enport built a double log cabin on the Island of Rock Island at the ])lace where the "Old l)nvenjiort House" now stands, one part of which he used as a store in which he carried on the business of an Indian trader. The old ruin now standing on the north shore of the island was Imilt in 1833 and was foi- many years the most [iretentious residence abo\'e St. Louis, the timbers in the old Trading House being used in constructing llie new dwelling, in IS'24 Russell Farnhain came from Warsaw and entered into partnership with Davenport uiuler the firm name of Davenport it Farnham. In 1826 Davenport and Faridiain built the house on the main land just west of the V. L. Cable residence and afterwards occupied by .John Barrel. This house was used for many years as the seat of justice for this county and in our county records is referred to as the "House of John Barrel."

In 1828 the country along Rock River had not been surveyed and consequently was not 'open to entry. Yet the fame of the fertility of the soil and the beauty of the country had attracted the pioneer who is always in advance of the settler, and who often is termed the scjuatter, and these people relying u|ion tlie protection of L^ort Armstrong began to select homes in this valley. During the year 1828 there were eight settlers to arrive - Caj)- tain B. W. Clark, an old soldier named Haney, Judge Pence, who settled on Rock River, and John Kinney, Thomas Kinney, George Harlan, Conrad Leek and Archibald Allen, the last five settling where Rapids City now is.

The year 1S29 brought a number of newcomers - Judge John \\ . Spencer, who had been here the year before; Louden Case, Sr., and his three sons, Jonah, Louden, Jr., and

Charles, who settled on what is now known as the Case place on Rock River; Rinah Wells and his four sons, Rinah, Jr., Lucius, John and Samuel, who also settled on Rock River; Joel Wells, Jr., who settled near Hampton; Joel Wells, Sr., Levi and Huntington Wells, who settled at Moline; Joseph Danforth a mile above Moline; Michael Bartlctt where Deere i^c Mansur's factory, Moline, now is; George Goble and his son, Benjamin, about two miles above Moline; William Brashar, who settled south of the present city of Rock Island; Joshua A'andrruff and his sons, who settled on \'andruff's Island; Charles H. Case and Benjamin F. Pike.

At this time in the southern part of the the state negroes were held in bondage, under what was known and recognized as the indentured or registered servant's act. . This was contrary to the ordinance of 1787 which governed the admission of Illinois into the union as a state, but our Legislature enacted laws which our courts upheld, by which slavery existed in Illinois. In May, 1829, a man named Stejihens from St. Louis settled on the Mississippi where Walker Station now is, two miles east of Moline, bringing with him twenty black slaves, and built two cabins". There were but few settlers in this locality, but this new departure was not in accord with their ideas, and in October Joseph Danforth traveled to the nearest justice of the peace, who resided at Galena, and seciu'ed from him a warrant for Stei)hens' arrest for holding slaves. George Goble, the father of J^enjamin Goble, knowing Danforth's intention, warned Stephens, who immediately started south with his slaves. Stephens' two cabins were afterwards taken by two brothers named Smith, who floored the cabins with planks taken from the hull of Major ("ampbell's keel boat, which had burned only to the water's edge, and which had lain imbedded in the sand on Campbell's Island where it stranded on that ill fated July 19, 1814. No one after this ever tried to own slaves in this county, although some of the officers at Fort Armstrong had negro servants, some of whom were held as indentured blacks, a few as slaves. One of the latter afterwards gained national prominence.

Dred Scott was a negro slave owned by Dr. John Emerson, a surgeon in the United States Army, and in the year 1834 came with the doctor from Missouri to Fort Armstrong on Rock Island, where the doctor was stationed. Scott remained at Fort Armstrong until May, 1836, when he went with the doctor to Fort Snelling (now Minnesota) where he married Harriet, a slave of his master, and had two children. Slavery was illegal in both places; in Illinois by our constitiition ; in Minnesota (Upper Louisiana Purchase) by the Missouri Compromise.

In 1838 Scott was taken to Jefferson Barracks, a military post at St. Louis, Missouri, and here an action was brought in the circuit court of the state by Scott to test the question of his freedom. The St. Louis court held that Scott's residence on free soil had made him Free. The case was appealed to ths supreme court of Missouri which court reversed the decision of the St. Louis circuit court and held Scott was a slave. In the meantime Dr. Emerson had sold Dred and his family to John F. A. Sanford of New York and suit was brought against Sanford in the United States court for Scott's freedom.

This case was tried at St. Louis on May 15th, before the court and a jury, and the latter found that "Dred Scott was a negro slave, the lawful properly of the defendant." A new trial was refused, and Scott carried his case to the supreme court of the United States.

The final decision in the Dred Scott case was the longest, and up to that period, the most interesting one ever given by the supreme ct)urt of the United States. It is reported in the 19th Howard. The substance of the decision was:

"Scott was not made free by lieins; taken to Rock Island in the State of Illinois. As Scott was a slave when taken to I'ort Armstronji into the State of Illinois by his owner, and was then held as s\ich, and brought back into Missouri in that character, his status, as free or slave, depended on the laws of Missouri, and not of Illinois, He and his family were not free, but were, by the laws of Missouri, the property of the defendant."

In 182S and the early ])art of IS'i!) tieorge Davenport and Russell Farnhani entered the lands \ipon which the old fair grounds were located, and which extended from there about one mile east. William T. Brashar entered the lands upon a portion of which is now located Chippianock Cemetery. These and other pre-emptions were upnn lands that had for nearly a century been the village and the cornfields of the Sacs. These entries were within the letter, but contrary to the spirit of the treaty of 1804. These lands were not open to settlers, nor IjrouglU, into the market until the latter part of 18'_'9, and one authority says: "Consequently all who^ had settled on them previous to this were trespassers, having violated the laws of congress and the pre-existing treaties. The most advanced settlements at that time did not approach nearer than fifty or sixty miles of Rock Island, and the lands for eviMi a greater distance had not been offered for sale, yet the government disposed of a few qiuirter sections at the mouth of this stream, cmbracing the site of the village and fields cultivated by the inhabitants. The manifest object of this advanced movement upon the Indian settlements was to evade the pro\-isii)ns of the treaty, by having the governmental title to the lands pass into the hands of the individuals, and thus obtain .a ]irete\t for removing its owners west of the Mississippi.

By an act of the Illinois Legislature entitled "An act to establish Rock Island County," approved and in force February 9, 1831, it was provided by Section 1 thereof what the boundaries of this ccumty shall be. Section '2 provided that whenever it shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of the presiding judge of the circuit court of Jo Daviess County, to which this county was then attached, that the said County of Rock Island contains three hundred and fifty inhal.)itauts, it shall be his duty to grant an order for the election of three commissioners, one sheriff and one coroner to serve in and for said county until they be superseded by the persons elected at the next general election, which shall take place after the special election herein provided for. The act then states that after such election the said County of Rock Islanil shall l>e considered as organized and entitled to the same rights and privileges as the other counties in this state. Owing, however, to the Black Hawk War no effort was made to organize the county until 183.3, when on Monday, July in jiursuance of due notice the legal voters of this county to the number of sixty-five met at the "House of John Barrel," anil elected county officers.

The Beginning Of Trouble

In the spring of 1831, when Black Hawk and his people returned from their winter hunt, they found the few white settlers whom they had left the fall before increased by many new comers. They found the Indian homes occupied by pale faces, and among their corn hills they found the white man's wagon, liut more aggravating yet, they found the bones of their ancestors disturbed and laid bare upnti the grounil by tlie white man's plow. Black Hawk and his people had borne much the past few years but this seemed too much. He protested, and was told the white man had bought the land from his white father in Washington. Ho could not understand this. Judge John W. Spencer in his "Reminiscences" says: "Black Hawk gave the settlers to understand that after this season they must go south of Rock River, or above Pleasant \'alley. * * * This move on the part of the Indians made it necessary for the settlers to look about and see what they could do for their protection,'' and, Judge Spencer says, "We had petitioned the governor of the state in the summer of 1829 without his taking any notice, but now we concluded to try it again. We made a statement of our grievance, and of the order of Black Hawk for our removal, and forwarded it with all possible haste to the governor. This had the desired effect."

"April 30, 1S31. "His Excellency, the Governor of the State of Illinois: "We, the undersigned, being citizens of Rock River and its vicinity, beg leave to state to your honor the grievances which we labor under and pray your protection against the Sac and Fox tribe of Indians who have again taken pos.session of our lands near the mouth of Rock River and its vicinity. They have, and now are, burning our fences, destroying our crops of wheat now growing by turning in all their horses. They also throaten our lives if we attempt to plant corn, and say they will cut it up; that we have stolen their lands from thorn, and they are determined to exterminate us, provided we don't leave the country. Your honor, no doubt, is aware of the outrages that were committed by said Indians heretofore. Particularly last all, they almost destroyed all our crops, and made several attempts on the owners' lives when they attempted to prevent their depredations, and actually wounded one man by stabbing him in several ]5laces. This spring they act in a much more outrageous and menacing manner, so that we consider ourselves compelled to beg protection of you, which the agent and garrison on Rock Island refuse to give, inasmuch as they say they have no orders from government; tlierefore, should we not receive adequate aid from your honor, we shall be compelled to abandon our settlement, and the lands which we have purchased of the government. Therefore, we have no doubt but your honor will better anticipate our condition than it is represented, and grant us immediate relief in the manner that to you may seem most likely to produce the desired effect. The number of Indians now among us is about si.x or seven hundred. They say there are more coming, and that the Pottawattomies and some of the Winnebagoes will help them in case of an irruption with the whites.

"The warriors now here are the Black Hawk's party, with other chiefs, the names of whom we are not acquainted with. Therefore, looking up to you for protection, we beg leave to remain, yours, etc." ^Signed)

The Indian Aoent Reports

The settlers not hearing from Governor Reynolds and receiving no aid from the officials at Fort Armstrong, apjjlied to the Indian agent, and he wrote the following letter:

"Respected Sir: I have again to mention to you that the Black Hawk (a Sac chief) and his party are now at their old \-illage on Rock River. They have commenced planting corn and say they will keep possession. I have been informed that they have pulled down a house and some fences which they have burned. They have also tinned thi^ir horses in wheat fields and say they will destroy the wheat so that the white people shall not remain among them.

"This is what I expected fr(jm their manner of acting last fall, and which I mentioned to you in my letter of the Sth October last. I would not be at a loss were it not for the seventh article of the treaty with the 8acs and Foxes of 3d November, 1S()4.

"I respectfully ask, would it not bi' l)(>tter to hold a treaty with those Indians and get them to remove peaceably, than to call on the military to force them off? None of this band has as yet called on me for information- A few have been at my agency to have work done at the smith's shops. 1 have the honor to be,

Whiskey The Cause

One of the settlers living on what is now Vandruff's Island, kept a sort of tavern where whiskey was sold, and here the Indians came to barter for fire water. Black Hawk saw his people bartering off their peltries and game f(n' whiskey and he saw the ruin that the white man's "fire water"' was creating among them. He protested and begged the white man to stop selling the Indians whiskey, but the sale went on. One day he, with some five or six of liis l)ra\-es, paddled in their canoe- from their village to Vandruff's Island. Silently the old chief marched up to the c-db'm followed by his braves. They did not stop to knock, but entered the door and silently rolled the barrel of whiskey outside the ca,l)in, knocked in the head with their tomahawks and allowed the ])ale faces' "fire water" to run on the ground. Then they rowed back to their village.

This last act of the Indians greatly excited the whites and Benjamin F. Pike, a settler, .afterwards our first sheriff, was sent to Bi'lleville in St. Clair 0)unty to personally ask the governor for assistance. He took with him the f(dlowiug jietition frcun the settlers.

The Second Petition

"Farnhaml)urg, M;iy lU, 1S31. "To his Excellency, tlie Governor of the State of Illinois: "We. the undersigned, citizens of Rock River and its vicinity, having previously sent a petition to your honor, praying your protection against these Sac Indians who were at that time doing every kind of mischief as was set forth and represented to your honor; but feeling ourselves more aggrieved and our situation more precarious, we have been compelled to make our distress known to you by sending one of our neighbors who is well acquainted with oui situation. If we do not get relief speedily we must leave our habitations to these savages and seek safety for our families by taking thetn down into the lower counties and suffer our houses and fences to be destroyed, as one of the principal war chiefs has threatened if we do not abandon our settlement his warriors should burn our houses over onr heads. They were, at tlie tim(> we sent om- other petition, destroying our crops of wheat, and are still pasturing their horses in our fields, burning our fences, and have

"We have tried every argument to the agent for relief, but he tells us they arc a lawless band, and he has nothing to do with them until further orders, leaving us still in suspense, as the Indians say if we plant we sh.all not reap, a proof of which we had last fall; they almost entirely destroyed all our crops of corn, potatoes, etc, I^elievin;;: we shall receive protection from your excellency we shall go on with our farms until the return of the bearer; and ever remain your humble supplicants, etc,"

This petition was signed by almost all the persons who signed the first petition. On his way to Belleville in St, Clair County, where Governor Reynolds lived, Mr Pike stopped over in Fulton County where he secured the following affidavit:

"Personally appeared before me, Stephen Dewey, an acting justice of the peace in and for said County of Fulton, and State of Illinois, Hiram Sanders and Ammyson Chapman, of the aforesaid county and state, and made oath that some time in the month of April last they went to the old Indian Sac town, about thirty miles up Rock River, for the purpose of farming and establishing a ferry across said river, and the Indians ordered us to move away and not to come there again and we remained there a few hours.

"He therefore ordered the Indians to throw our furniture^ out of the house; they accordingly did so and threatened to kill us if we did not depart. We therefore discovered that our lives were in danger, and consequently moved back again to the above county.

"Present, Benjamin F. Pike, before me, a justice of the peace in and for the said county, and made oath and deposed, that' he has resided in the vicinity of Rock River, in the State of Illinois, for almost three years last past ; that he is well acquainted with the band of the Sac Indians whose chief is the Black Hawk, and who have resided and do now reside near the mouth of Rock River in this state; that he understands so much of the said Indian language as to converse with the said Indians intelligibly; that he is well satisfied that said Indians, to the amount of about three hundred warriors, are extremely unfriendly to the white people; that said Indians are determined, if not prevented by force, to drive off the white people, who have some of them purchased land of the United States near said Indians, and said Indians to remain sole occupiers of the said country.

"That said Indians do not only make threats to this effect, but have, in various instances, done much damage to said white inhabitants, by throwing down their fences, destroying the fall grain, pulling off the roofs of houses, and positively asserting that if the whites do not go away they would kill them; that there are about forty inhabitants and heads of families in the vicinity of said Indians who are immediately affected by said band of Indians; that said Pike is certain that said forty heads of families, if not protected, will be compelled to leave their habitations and homes from the actual injury that said Indians will commit on said inhabitants: that said band of Indians consists, as al)ove stated, of about three hundred warriors, and that the whole band is actuated by the same hostile feelings towards the white inhabitants; and that, if not prevented by an armed force of men, will commit on said white inhabitants. That said Indians liave said that they would fight for their country where they reside, and would not permit the white people to occupy it at all. That s.aid white inhabitants are desirous to be protected, and tliat immediately, so that they may raise crops this spring and summer.

Pike presented his petition from the Rock River settlers and these affidavits personally to Governor Reynolds, who (in the same day issued a call for se\'en hmidred mounted militia, to move the Indians west of th" Mississippi River. He also wrote the following letter to General Clark, Superintendent of Indian Affairs:

"Sir: In order to protect the citizens of this state, who reside near Rock River, from Indian invasion and depred.ations, I liave considered it necessary to call out a force (if militia of this state of abdut seven hundred strong, to remove a band of the Sac Indians who are now about Rock Island. The object of the government of the state is to protect those citizens by removing said Indians, peaceably if thoy can, but forcibly if they must. Those Indians arc now. and so I have considered them, in a state of actual invasion of the state.

above call on the militia and that in or about fifteen days a snfticient force will a|ipear before said Indians to remove them, dead or alive, over to the west side of the Mississippi: but to save all this disagreeable business, perhaps a request from you to them for th(Mn to remove to the west side of the river would effect the object of procuring ]ieace to the citizens of the state. There is no disposition on the part of the people of this state to injure those unfortmiate and deluded savages if they will let us alone: but a go\'ernment that does not protect its citizens deserves not the name of a government. Please correspond with me at this place on this subject.

Felix St. Vrain, the then agent for the Sacs and Foxes, had in the meantime gone to St. Louis and in the following letter sets out the situation at Rock River:

"Respected Sir: Since my last of the loth inst. on the sidjject of the band of Sac Indians, etc., the Indian village on Rock River near Rock Island. I have heard from the Indians and some of the whites ihat a house had been unroofed instead of jiiilled down and biu'ned, and that the fence had caught fire by accident. .\s regards the destroying of the wheat, etc., the Indians say that a white man hauled some timber through a field and left the fence down by which means their horses got into the field. This, however, has l.)een contradicted by the white inhabitants of that place. They say that the Indians are constantly troubling them by letting their horses into their fields and killing their hogs, etc. This, however, I am confident is occasioned in a great measin-e by whiskey being given to the Indians in exchange for their guns, traps, etc.

the Black Thunder, who is the principal of that hand. I told them that they had sold those lands to the government of the United States and that they ought to remove to their own lands. They then said that they had only sold the lands south of the river. I then produced the treaties and explained to them that they had relinquished their rights as far as the Ouisconsin. Quash-quam-me (the Jumping Fish) then said that he had only consented to the limits being Rock River, but that a Fox chief agreed (as he understands, afterwards) for the Ouisconsin; that he (Qnash-quam-me^ had l)een deceived and that he did not intend it to be so. I had considerable talk with them on this subject, and could discover nothing hostile in their disposition unless their decided conviction of their right to the place could be construed as such. I have been informed that a white man and his family had gone to an Indian village on the borders of Rock River about forty miles from Rock Island, for the purpose of establishing a ferry, and that the Indians at that place had driven them away at the same time saying to them that they would not hurt them, but they should not live there. This village is occupied by a mi.xture of Winnebago, Sac and Fo.x band and headed by the Prophet, a chief. I have the honor to be

"Superintendency of Indian Affairs. "St. Louis, May 28, 18:51. "Sir: I have the honor to inclose you a copy of a letter of 'JGth inst., just received from the fJovernor of Illinois, by which yo>i will perceive he has thought it necessary to call out a force of about 700 militia for the protection of the citizens of that state, who reside near Rock River, and for the purpose of removing a band of Sacs which he states are now about Rock Island.

"As the commanding general of this division of the arm}', I have thought it my duty to communicate to you the above information; and for the purpose of putting you in possession of the views of the government in relation to this subject, as well as to inform you of the means which have been heretofore employed for the removal of the Sacs now complained of, I enclose to you herewith copies of my correspondence with the war department and with the agent for those tribes, also extracts from such of their reports as had immediate relation to the subject.

"The Sacs and Foxes have been counseled with on the subject of their removal from the lands which they had ceded to the LTnited States. The prospect of collisions with the white settlers who were then purchasing those lands, and the interminable difficulties in which they would be involved thereby were pointed out, and had the effect of convincing a large majority of both tribes of the impropriety of remaining at their old village. They, therefore, acquiesced in the justice of the claim of the United States and expressed their willingness to comply with my request to remove to their new village on lowy River, west of the Mississippi, all but parts of two bands headed by two inconsiderable chiefs, who, after abandoning their old village, have, it appears, returned again, in defiance of all consequences.

"Those bands are distinguished and known by the name of 'The British Party,' having been for many years in the habit of making antuial visits at Maiden in Upper Canada for the ])urposc of receiving their presents, and it is believed to be owing in a great measure to the counsels they have there received, that so little influence has been acquired over them i)y the L^nited States agents.

bing Chief, and. indcpfl, all the other real chiefs and principal men of both tribes, it should be observed that they have constantly and zealously co-operated with tlie u;ovornment agents in fiu'therance of its views, and in their endeavors to effect the removal of all their property from th(> cedeil lands.

"Any information in my ]iossession which 3'OU may deem necessary in relation to this subject will be ]iromptly afforded. With high respect, I ha\'e the honor to be

"P. S. The agent for the Sacs and Foxes (Mr. St. A'rain) has received his instructions and will perform any service you may require of him with the Sacs and Foxes."

"Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th iiist.. informing me of your having considered it necessary to call out a force of militia of about seven hundred for the protection of the citizens of Illinois who resiile near liock Island invasion and for the purpose of removing a band of Sac Indians who are now about Rock Island, etc.

"You intimate that to prevent the necessity of employing this force, perhaps a request from me to those Indians to remove to the west side of the Mississippi would effect the object of procuring peace to the citizens of your state. In answer of which I would beg leave to observe, that every effort on my part has been made to effect the removal of all those tribes who had ceded their lands. For the purpose of affording you a view (in part) of what has been done in this matter, I enclose you herewith extracts from the reports of the agents for the Sacs and Foxes, by which it will be seen that every meansshort of actual force, has lieen employed to effect their removal.

" I have communicated the contents of your lett<'r to Cieneral Gaines, who commands the western di\'ision of the army, and who has full power to act and execute any military niOA-ement deemed necessary for the protection of the frontier. I shall also furnish liini with such information regarding the Sacs and Foxes as I am possessed of, and would l)eg leave to refer ymi to him foi' any further proce^edings in relation to this subject. I have the honor to Ije, with great respect, "Your obedient servant,

"Sir: I have received undoubted inf(U-mation that the section of this state near Rock Island is actmdly invaded by a hostile IjatuI of the Sac Indians headed l)y Black Hawk; and in order to repel said invasion, and to lU'otect the citizens of the state, I have, under tlie provisions of the constitution of the I'nited States and the laws of this state, called on the militia, to the niinilier of 71)1) men, who will be mounted and ready for service in a very short time. I consider it my duty to lay liefore you the above inforinati(Ui, so as you, commanding the military forces of the United States in this part of the Union, may adopt such measures in regard to said Indians as you deem right.

"Tlie above mentioned mounted volimteers (becau.se such they will be) will be in readiness immediately to move against said Indians, and, as Executive of the State of Illinois, I respectfvUly solicit your co-opera-

"Sir: I do myself the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday's date, ad^-ising me of your having received imdoubted information that the section of the frontier of yoiir state near Rock Island is invaded bj' a hostile band of Sac Indians headed by a chief called Black Hawk. That in order to repel said invasion, and to protect the citizens of the state, you have called on the militia to the number of 700 militiamen to be in readiness immediately to move against the Indians, and you solicit my cooperation.

"In reply, it is m}- duty to state to you that I have ordered six companies of the regular troops stationed at Jefferson Barracks to embark tomorrow morning and repair forthwith to the spot occupied by the hostile Sacs. To this detachment I shall, if necessary, add four companies. With this force I am satisfied that I shall be able to repel the invasion and give security to the frontier inhabitants of the state. But should the hostile band be sustained by the residue of the Sac, Fox and other Indians to an extent requiring an augmentation of my force, I will, in that event, communicate with Your Excellency by express and avail myself of the co-operation which you propose. But, tmder existing circumstances, and the present aspect of our Indian relations on the Rock Island section of the frontier, I do not deem it necessan,^ or proper to require militia, or any other description of force, other than that of the regular army at this place and Prairie du Chien.

"Sir: On the 2Sth inst. I had the honor of receiving a letter from the Governor of Illinois dated the 28th. informing me of the measures which he had considered it necessary to pursue for the protection of the citizens of his state from Indian invasion and for the purpose of remo\-ing a band of Sacs then about Rock Island. A copy of his letter and my answer herewith enclosed.

the information received from the Governor of Illinois important, I immediately communicated it to General Gaines who happened to be in this place at the time, and shortly after was called upon by Governor Reynolds himself, to whom I gave such information respecting the Sacs complained of as had come to my knowledge, and also furnished him with such of the reports of the agent for those tribes as had relation to the subject. To the Commanding General I furnished similar information: and also for the purpose of possessing him of the views of the government on that subject, I gave him copies of such of my correspondence with the War Department as had any relation thereto.

"I also enclose to you copies of two reports of the agent for the Sacs and Foxes of the 1.5th and 28th inst. By the first it will be seen that the band complained of is determined to keep possession of their old village; and it is probable from a knowledge of the disposition evinced in the matter by the Sacs and for the purpose of dispossessing them, that the Commanding General has thought proper to make a display in that quarter of a part of the force under his command, six companies of which are now leaving this place for Rock River. The expedition (be the result what it may) cannot fail of producing good effects, even should the Indians be disposed to move peaceably to their own lands: and if not. their opposition should, in ray opinion, be put do'mi at once.

Gaixe5 Goes To Fort Ar.Mstroxg

General Gaines immediately proceeded to Fort Armstrong and upon his arrival with his troops commenced putting the fort in condition to ^"ithstand a siege if necessary-. The six companies he brought with him from Jefferson Barracks were strengthened by fotir additional companies from Fort Crawford, at Prairie du Chien. Wisconsin. All the settlers in this vicinity were warned of impending danger and came to the fort with their families, bringing their horses, cattle and everything of vahie that could be carried. The soldiers began target practice, and morning and evening gims were fired, something not heretofore done. June .5. General Gaines sent for Black Hawk. Keokuk. Wapello and other chiefs for the purpose of holding a council. Black Hawk came to the council attended by all his chiefs and many warriors, all in war paint, carrying arms, and singing war songs. None but the chiefs were allowed to enter the fort, and here in the presence of Keokuk. Wapello, and other head chiefs. General Gaines told Black Hawk that he and his band must move west of the Mississippi River, and that if they did not go, he. Gaines, would move them by force. Gaines gave the Indians imtil the twentieth in which to move. Previous to this Black Hawk had held two inteniews with the Prophet, a Winnebago living at his village where Prophetstown is now located. The Prophet claimed to have had visions or dream.s. and said that the white soldiers would do no one any harm: that their object was merely to frighten the Indians, and it was upon thLs information - - ^' -k Hawk acted.

Gai.Xes Asks Aid From The Goverxor

""Sir: I do myself the honor to report to Yotu- Excellency the result of my conference with the chiefs and braves of -the band of Sac Indians settled within the limits of yotu" state near this place.

called their attention to the facts reported to me of their disorderly conduct towards the white inhabitants near them. They disavow any intention of hostility but at the same time adhere with stubborn pertinacity to their purpose of remaining on the Rock River land in question.

"I notified them of my determination to move them, peaceably if possible, but at all events to move them to their own side of the Mississippi River, pointing out to them the apparent impossibility of their living on lands purchased by the whites without constant disturbance. They contended that this part of their country had never been sold by them. I explained to them the dit^'erer.- treaties of 1S04. "16 and ""2-5. and c< ; with a positive a.ssurance that they mus: n^ovc off. and that I must as soon as they are ready assist them \vith boats.

have this morning learned that they have invited the Prophet's band of Winnebagoes on Rock River, with some Pottawatomies and Kickapoos. to join them. If I find this to be true. I shall gladly avail myself of my present visit to see them well ptmished: and, therefore. I deem it to be the only safe measure now to be taken to request of Yottr Excellencv the battalion of mounted men which yoii did mc tho honor to say co-operate with me. They will find at this post a supply of rations for the men, with some corn for their horses, toiiether with a supply of powder and lead.

"I have deemed it expedient under all the circumstances of the case to invite the frontier inhabitants to bring their families to this post mitil the difference is over.

" P. S. Since writing the foregoing remarks, I ha\e learned that the Winnebagoes and Pottawatomie Indians have actuallv been invited l)y the Sacs to join tlicm. I'.ut the former evince no disposition to (Mimplv: and it is suppo.sed by Colonel Cratiot, the agent, that none will join the Sacs, except, ])erhaps, some few of the Kickapoos. E. P. G."

This letter evidently plea.sed Governor Reynolds for he said: ''I was very much rejoiced on receiving this letter, as it juit my whole proceedings on a legal and constitutional footing-, and the responsil)ilil\- of the war was removed from me to the I'niied States."

While at Fort .Armstrong the settlers had prepared another petition, together with numerous aftidavits. which they presented to General Gaines. The following is the substance of the dejjositions of sundry citizens of the Rock River settlement, taken before William Brasher, J. P., and ,b)el Wells, J. P., on the 10th of June, IH'M.

"First. John Wells, .lohii W. Spencer, Jonah H. Case, Rennah Wells, Samuel Wells, Benjamin F. Pike, Jo.seph Danforth and Moses Johnson, before Wm. P>raz(>r, .(. P., swear that the Sac Indians did through the last year repeatedly threaten to kill them for being on their ground, and acted in the most outrageous manner; threw down their fences, burnt or destroyed their rails, turned horses into their cornfields and almost destroyed their crojxs. stole their potatoes, killed and ate their hogs, shot aiTows into their cattle and put out their eyes, thereby rendering them useless to their owners, saying the land was theirs, and that they had not sold it. In April they ordered the deponents to leave their houses, and turned from fifty to one hundred horses into one man's wheat field, threatening that the fields should not be reaped, although said owners had piu'chased the land of the XTnited States government. The Indians also IcA'eled deadly weapons at the citizens, and on some occasions hiu't some of the said citizens, for attemjiting to pre\-ent the destructiori of their projierty. Also that the Indians stole their horses, some of which were returned by the agent six or eight months after, and in a miserable condition: others were never heard of again. Nearly fifty Indians headed by their notoriotis war chief, all armed and equipped for war, came to the house of Rennah Wells, and ordered him to be off or they would kill him, which, for the safety of his family, he obeyed. They then went to another house, rolled out a barrel of whiskey and destroyed it. as well as conmiitting many other outrages to the knowledge of the deponents.

"Second. John Wells, before Joel W'ells, J. P., swore that on the 30th day of September, 1.S30, he saw two Sac Indians throwing down his fence, who said they were doing it for the i)urpose of going through, in whicli they jiersisted althotigh forbidden by the owner, and when the owner attempted to prevent them, one of them made a pass at him with his fist, and drew his knife on him.

"Third. Rennah and Samtiel Wells, before Joel Wells, J. P., swore that on the 29th of May a party of Sac Indians, calling themselves chiefs, with Black Hawk at their head, came to the house of Rennah \\'ells. near the month of Rock River, and said that he must let the squaws cultivate his field, which Wells